Movie review: "Chihuahua" is too chatty, too plot-driven

Daniel Daza

Piper Perabo (left), and Chloe (right) in "Beverly Hills Chihuahua."

If "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" is no "Babe" or "Charlotte's Web," at least it's in the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" ballpark.

By Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Last update: October 2, 2008 - 5:36 PM

Those savvy market research-readers at Disney have discovered that kids love Chihuahuas, especially talking ones. Thus, they decreed that "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" take one of the little bug-eyed rats on an incredible journey from her chic life in Beverly Hills to the dog fights of Mexico, with a side trip into the land of Chihuahua, where wild lap dogs yap and dance, never to tremble in fear of being stepped on again.

A who's who of Hispanic voice talent, from George Lopez and Andy Garcia to Placido Domingo, lends this too-chatty, too-plot-driven chew toy from the director of "Scooby-Doo" just enough Spanglish flavor to go over.

Drew Barrymore provides the winsome voice of Chloe, the pampered pooch of a makeup mogul (Jamie Lee Curtis). She barely notices the landscaper's pup, Papi (Lopez), who stops digging holes and rolling in filth long enough to swoon, "mi corazon."

Chloe is put into the hands of irresponsible dog-sitter Rachel (Piper Perabo), who drags her down to Baja, where Chloe's pricey collar and pedigree attract the attention of dog-nappers who see her as grist for their illegal dog-fighting business. Chloe falls in with mutts, strays and a cruise ship rat (Cheech Marin), is rescued by a battle-scarred German shepherd (Garcia) and pursued by a Doberman (Edward James Olmos).

Lopez gets most of the laughs, barking through Papi's enthusiasm for the search with vintage one-liners -- "We're Mexi-CANS, not Mexi-can'ts!" But the biggest giggles come with the entrance of the great tenor Señor Domingo, whose screen time is far too short to make the movie more than it is.

If "Chihuahua" is no "Babe" or "Charlotte's Web," at least it's in the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" ballpark. Just remember, nobody went to the pet store and grabbed a chipmunk on the way home after that one.